can someone provide me with an outline or cliffs of this workout program? (reps)

or link me to the posts that give an outline?

thanks

Andrew,

You can read through the first two pages of this thread, which has an outline that is becoming a bit outdated due to the evolution of the program. Although some things have changed, the first two pages will give you 'cliffs' that you're looking for.

If you want to get the most out of the program and know everything about it, invest the $30.00 and get in on the eBook with the free program design bonus that is going on right now. You can get the book at www.2020-wellness.com.

I offer both worlds because I want people on the program, but I know now everyone is going to be willing to invest into it. The program is excellent, as you can see by what participants have to say about it throughout the thread. Whichever option you choose(eBook or cliffs), I thank you for using GST.

Ryan I have question on an article from your website "Eating like a bird, Training like an animal"

First off, I am in way trying to disrespect you, I am just trying to understand you're philosophy on it, because it somewhat goes against what I have come to know.

You state:

Why does eating too little hurt your progress in the gym? My client’s maintenance level with activity factored in was 1400 calories per day. In one day, her body burns 1400 calories in order to keep her alive, well, and able to perform her daily activities. In order for her to gain weight, she needed to eat above 1400 calories per day. In order for her to maintain weight, she needed to eat 1400 calories per day. In order for her to lose weight, she needed to eat under 1400 calories per day. I told her that she should be setting her calories around 1200 and we would adjust accordingly based on her body’s response. Her body responded well and she dropped in weight, was happy with where she was headed, and everything seemed fine. Unfortunately, a couple of months later we ran into trouble.
She had stalled her metabolism out and was actually gaining fat! I knew that the first place to look was her diet and that she probably changed her habits. Her workouts were consistent and were based on the same concepts that had provided her with strong results since the beginning of our training relationship, so this wasn’t the problem area. Upon request, she listed out her daily food intake for me and sure enough, she was back to eating less than 1000 calories per day! She had it so ingrained in her mind from the past that eating less would get her farther, that she abandoned our plan and dropped an additional 300 calories from her daily intake on her own! When your total calorie intake is 1200, and you drop 300 calories, that’s 25% of your daily calorie intake! That is a significant percentage and is much too large of a drop to be made suddenly. She had made a classic mistake and was eating like a bird while she was working out like an animal!
The numbers don’t lie! Her maintenance calories were 1400, her intake was 900, she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole of undereating. This was causing her body to slow down its metabolism and hang onto fat to accommodate her new calorie intake. The body stores fat, as it is the most useful energy source in a time of bodily stress. She told me that she was only eating because “she knew she should be, not because she was hungry.” She was basically never hungry! This was a red flag for me that her body had come to a halt. She said she could “miss meals for half of a day and not feel hungry.” When you’re running in a fat burning mode, you should be feeling hungry every 2-4 hours, definitely not every 8-12 hours.

Now, if she was eating at a 200 calorie deficit, obviously she was losing weight. If you are below maintenance, well then you are losing. But, what I am trying to understand is when she then dropped her calories more, you said she began putting on fat. How is this possible? She would have still been in calorie deficit, and should therefore still be losing, most likely at even a faster rate then before, not gaining. Are you saying because of the increased deficit, she wasn't able to execute her workouts with the same intensity as before, and therefore was burning far fewer calories?

I want to understand this more, because this is something I am trying to do for myself. Workout (maybe with GST), and continuously lose Body Fat.

I know I said I would be following your program but I found a different style of training that I enjoy very much and since my only goal right now is strength I figured I shouldn't put it off. I prefer less structure more intuition, less thought more feel, less reps more weight and more sets.

I'll most likely still be buying your book soon because it is a stellar program and I might find it suits my needs farther down the road. I'm sure there are plenty of good tidbits I can find throughout to apply to my current training anyway.

Ryan I have question on an article from your website "Eating like a bird, Training like an animal"

First off, I am in way trying to disrespect you, I am just trying to understand you're philosophy on it, because it somewhat goes against what I have come to know.

You state:

Now, if she was eating at a 200 calorie deficit, obviously she was losing weight. If you are below maintenance, well then you are losing. But, what I am trying to understand is when she then dropped her calories more, you said she began putting on fat. How is this possible? She would have still been in calorie deficit, and should therefore still be losing, most likely at even a faster rate then before, not gaining. Are you saying because of the increased deficit, she wasn't able to execute her workouts with the same intensity as before, and therefore was burning far fewer calories?

I want to understand this more, because this is something I am trying to do for myself. Workout (maybe with GST), and continuously lose Body Fat.

I'm going to PM you on this. I don't mind off topic in here, but this is way off topic

I know I said I would be following your program but I found a different style of training that I enjoy very much and since my only goal right now is strength I figured I shouldn't put it off. I prefer less structure more intuition, less thought more feel, less reps more weight and more sets.

I'll most likely still be buying your book soon because it is a stellar program and I might find it suits my needs farther down the road. I'm sure there are plenty of good tidbits I can find throughout to apply to my current training anyway.

Thanks

Blizzard, don't worry about it. You've got no obligation to me(cept that I answered any question you had, haha)

In all honesty, if you're doing a pure strength program you should be tracking weights and percentages even more! When you say you are going by feel with less structure, that doesn't sound too advantageous. The best pure strength training programs out there all have PLENTY of structure and planning behind them.

I'll look forward to your eBook purchase and will put together a solid program for you for future use if you get your purchase in within the bonus offer time frame.

Hey Ryan btw, my hammies are still sore as hell from my lift day on Saturday. Those reverse lunges followed by RDL's and Good mornings were killer. I look like I'm sneaking up on everyone today I'm walking so gingerly haha. Great stuff.

It is not recommended that you have your squat and lift days back to back. Therefore, you can see there aren't too many options. It is basically alternating the positioning of the press and pull days.

If you had 3 days of rest between them, you could have the squat and pulls back to back. This would help avoid any muscle overlap, but I still recommend the upper lower upper lower type of planning.

awesome..i'm planning on starting GST today and i was trying to make sure my legs are going to be well rested for my agility test with the fire department on may 20..this is what i figured would be the best for me

May 10 press
May 12 Squat
May 14 Pull
May 16 Lift
May 18 Press
May 20 (Test day) and i'll squat after i do the test

What do you think about subbing in squats on the Smith machine for my 4th Micro? I usually do them on the free rack. There is honestly no one in my gym that I slightly trust for a spot so Smith's on my heaviest squat day makes sense I think.

Also do you have a rec as to when do certain rep schemes for the supp lifts? I know you say in the book that you should go for the high set/low reps when you feel the best. But I am wondering if you recommend for example doing the low set/high reps in the last micro because the core lifts are heavy, low rep sets then. Not sure if that makes sense.

Thanks - BRUTAL leg day today. Looking forward to doing the math and seeing where my 1RM is now.

awesome..i'm planning on starting GST today and i was trying to make sure my legs are going to be well rested for my agility test with the fire department on may 20..this is what i figured would be the best for me

May 10 press
May 12 Squat
May 14 Pull
May 16 Lift
May 18 Press
May 20 (Test day) and i'll squat after i do the test

does that look alright?

Im impressed with your planning. That looks great man, excellent thinking. I also like that you'll be squatting regardless of testing that day.

What do you think about subbing in squats on the Smith machine for my 4th Micro? I usually do them on the free rack. There is honestly no one in my gym that I slightly trust for a spot so Smith's on my heaviest squat day makes sense I think.

Also do you have a rec as to when do certain rep schemes for the supp lifts? I know you say in the book that you should go for the high set/low reps when you feel the best. But I am wondering if you recommend for example doing the low set/high reps in the last micro because the core lifts are heavy, low rep sets then. Not sure if that makes sense.

Thanks - BRUTAL leg day today. Looking forward to doing the math and seeing where my 1RM is now.

I wouldn't switch to Smith unless you absolutely have to for safety. Doesn't the free rack have safety pins? If it does, have no fear!

As far as supp schemes go, the book says to do the top amount of sets if you're feeling strong and the low amount of sets if you're feeling weak that day. So if you're on a 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps day, you'd do 4 sets or 3 sets depending on your instincts. You do not switch the entire shceme though!

Since you're hitting the core lift first, the supp scheme doesn't affect it. Stick to the rotation and let the supps fall where they may.

Im impressed with your planning. That looks great man, excellent thinking. I also like that you'll be squatting regardless of testing that day.

one last question..on the supplemental lifts do i go to failure or stop 1-2 reps shy of it? and can i change my weights with those? ex my first set i get 70lbs x 9 on incline db second set i drop it down to 65lbs get the same amount of reps?

one last question..on the supplemental lifts do i go to failure or stop 1-2 reps shy of it? and can i change my weights with those? ex my first set i get 70lbs x 9 on incline db second set i drop it down to 65lbs get the same amount of reps?

Aim to avoid dropping the weight as you progress through your supp sets. If you can't get all your reps, try again next time. It is Ok to hit occassional failure, just don't be doing it all the time.

The eBook outlines guidelines for supplement work and when to increase as well.

Yes, the grip will be a bit closer. The move is great, love how it gives confidence to get under the heavier weight and changes things up a bit in general. In general, the barbell should be brought to the lower chest in a bench press, so it sounds like you're doing it right. Bring it to the lower chest/upper ab area, which will really call the tricep and delt troops to the battlefield!

Hm, should it be going heavier than my regular bench? The pause at the bottom made it seem harder to go heavier but of course I was taking it easy since it was my first time doing it so I might see some quick linear gains over the next few weeks.

The thing I loved about the floor press was the way it nailed my anterior delts. In other routines I had I did a lot of close grip benching so I've felt it that type of work in the triceps before and this seemed to hit that plus a really concentrated working of the delts.

"Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself."
Coach John Wooden

Blizzard, don't worry about it. You've got no obligation to me(cept that I answered any question you had, haha)

In all honesty, if you're doing a pure strength program you should be tracking weights and percentages even more! When you say you are going by feel with less structure, that doesn't sound too advantageous. The best pure strength training programs out there all have PLENTY of structure and planning behind them.

I'll look forward to your eBook purchase and will put together a solid program for you for future use if you get your purchase in within the bonus offer time frame.

Good luck with your goals,

Ryan

Haha yeah that's why I felt that way. You are a good source of info.

Well I'm definitely keeping track of weights lifted in my log and at the end of 3 months of doing this, if I'm not happy with my progress, I will definitely go to one of the more tried and true programs. I'll be looking back through to see if I can find any trends that either benefitted me or did the opposite and I'll adjust accordingly. But so far (it's been a month and a week) I'm loving it and the progress I'm getting. My bench has gone from an estimated 250 to a tested 285, squat and deadlift are going up steadily as well. I much prefer training things multiple times a week to just once and I feel more motivated this way as well. I've always found sticking to a program to be dull and unenlightening, if you know what I mean.

Anyways, how long is this bonus offer gonna last? I have to wait for my next paycheck before I can make the purchase...

Very intense HIIT cardio session. Did 35 minutes with 1 minute high intensity then a couple minute moderate jog intervals on treadmill. Not sure how many I ended up doing, but i was pretty pumped afterwords. Avg. heart rate for the entire session was 175 so i guess it shows i was hollin' ass. The first 3 sets of complexes afterward felt pretty good, but the final set really exhausted me especially the shoulder presses. My shoulder strength is really pissing me off, im hoping with the new program Ryan laid out for me I can make some significant strength gains.

Hey Ryan btw, my hammies are still sore as hell from my lift day on Saturday. Those reverse lunges followed by RDL's and Good mornings were killer. I look like I'm sneaking up on everyone today I'm walking so gingerly haha. Great stuff.

Well I'm definitely keeping track of weights lifted in my log and at the end of 3 months of doing this, if I'm not happy with my progress, I will definitely go to one of the more tried and true programs. I'll be looking back through to see if I can find any trends that either benefitted me or did the opposite and I'll adjust accordingly. But so far (it's been a month and a week) I'm loving it and the progress I'm getting. My bench has gone from an estimated 250 to a tested 285, squat and deadlift are going up steadily as well. I much prefer training things multiple times a week to just once and I feel more motivated this way as well. I've always found sticking to a program to be dull and unenlightening, if you know what I mean.

Anyways, how long is this bonus offer gonna last? I have to wait for my next paycheck before I can make the purchase...

Now on my last Squat Day - Micro 3 - I did 4reps twice and then an AMRAP of 9 at 225pds. Obviously I did that opposite of how the book lays it out but what it is. So if I do the math here = 9 x 0.0333333 = .299 + 1 = 1.299 x 225 = 295.

The average of those two is 325 + 295 /2 = 310. That seem right to you?

Hey Ive got a question for the creator of this program, I like it alot, I really do. At the moment Ive got a lower/upper split and hit the same body parts once every 4 or 5 days, however, it is hard to maintain the intensity required for big gains within a time frame when a variety of different exercises are needed per workout. This workout allows you to really pummel the specific muscle group to get good growth without fatiguing the synergist muscle groups you will use in the other workouts. Which means the same intensity can be used in every workout? And I can see that you will certainly look massive after each workout.
However, perfecting a schedule is very difficult. And the main concern I have with this one is that even with a huge amount of intensity I have never found waiting a whole week, or 8/9 days in this case to exercise the same muscle group again to be enough for maximum growth.
So I dont know whether to change my workout.

Hey Ive got a question for the creator of this program, I like it alot, I really do. At the moment Ive got a lower/upper split and hit the same body parts once every 4 or 5 days, however, it is hard to maintain the intensity required for big gains within a time frame when a variety of different exercises are needed per workout. This workout allows you to really pummel the specific muscle group to get good growth without fatiguing the synergist muscle groups you will use in the other workouts. Which means the same intensity can be used in every workout? And I can see that you will certainly look massive after each workout.
However, perfecting a schedule is very difficult. And the main concern I have with this one is that even with a huge amount of intensity I have never found waiting a whole week, or 8/9 days in this case to exercise the same muscle group again to be enough for maximum growth.
So I dont know whether to change my workout.

:/

Just my 2cents but I've done a lot of programs from HST to 5x5 etc, though am FAR from an expert but this plan is the real deal. Trust me - the rest you get on this plan is not great - you need time to recover from these workouts. It's great.

Hey Ive got a question for the creator of this program, I like it alot, I really do. At the moment Ive got a lower/upper split and hit the same body parts once every 4 or 5 days, however, it is hard to maintain the intensity required for big gains within a time frame when a variety of different exercises are needed per workout. This workout allows you to really pummel the specific muscle group to get good growth without fatiguing the synergist muscle groups you will use in the other workouts. Which means the same intensity can be used in every workout? And I can see that you will certainly look massive after each workout.
However, perfecting a schedule is very difficult. And the main concern I have with this one is that even with a huge amount of intensity I have never found waiting a whole week, or 8/9 days in this case to exercise the same muscle group again to be enough for maximum growth.
So I dont know whether to change my workout.

:/

Im far from an expert myself. I have never used any other program made by someone who does this for a living. I just threw crap together on my own. I bought a power rack and was looking for some sort of program that I could use to get my moneys worth out of the rack when I stumbled upon this thread shortly after the new year. The logical progression Ryan layed out made complete sense to me so I jumped on it. Just finished my third month(cycle) on my squats. Here are the numbers
1 Rep Maxes
Squats
225 Start GST
250 End of 1st Macro
262 End of 2nd Macro
270 End of 3rd Macro
Everything is progressing like that except my incline bench. I am one of those guys that doesnt know how to bench, but I am learning and there is progress but not like the other cores. At 47 years old I love the rest days. I also get fired up the evening of the rest day cuz I know I get to get under the iron again in the morning. It is working for me.
When I got my program down on paper I thought it would be too easy and I would need more. I was wrong. This GST thing is perfect for me. It built my confidence to get under loads that used to scare the **** out of me. Im in it for as long as I can see, its flexible enough to never get bored with it.
Give it a try for 3 cycles, what have you got too lose? 3 months aint nothin. You can give back the strength you gained if you are unsatisfied.
Here is my journal link http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post488449201
if you want to check it out. Search for "GST" in the journal threads, theres plenty of evidence there for you to check out.